Hungarian politician: Respecting election results is key to a healthy democracy
“Mutual respect and peace, as well as trust in democratic institutions, manifested in participating in elections and accepting their results, serve as a basis for protecting constitutional guarantees in a healthy democracy,” Csaba Hende, a deputy speaker of the Hungarian parliament, told a conference attended by his counterparts in the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg on Thursday.
In his speech, Hende said that “ignoring the will of voters indicates a distortion of democracy … once a government promoting the people’s will or the winner is prevented from forming a government, democratic legitimacy is violated.” Highlighting Hungary’s National Consultation surveys and referendums, Hende said: “Enforcing the people’s will increases the integrity of democracy, a sense of unity and sovereignty in the country.”
While populism is often lambasted, “democracies are not jeopardised by populism … but incitement to war and political, economic, or cultural attacks against peace-loving countries,” do endanger them, he said.
Meanwhile, Hende said that “political apathy is a natural consequence of autocratic ideologies” but “the Hungarian model is based on honesty, integrity, and straightforward talk … Hungary wants to set an example for nations seeking a renewal of democracy, where a more consistent promotion of the people’s will could encourage citizens to take more active roles.”
On the sidelines of the conference, Hende met his Serbian counterpart for bilateral talks. Hende said Serbian-Hungarian relations were “exemplary and prosperous”, adding that they were “based on mutual trust rather than tactics”. Meanwhile, Hende said Speaker of Parliament László Kövér has invited Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic to attend an annual conference of speakers of the EU in Budapest on May 11-12.
Elvira Kovács, the deputy speaker of the Serbian parliament, said “Serbia does not have a more understanding and greater partner in the European Union than Hungary,” adding that her country was “extremely grateful for Hungary’s support”. She made a special mention of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s support for Serbia’s EU integration as well as Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s contribution to Serbia’s progress in its accession talks during Hungary’s EU presidency last year.
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